The Manx National Farmers Union has raised objections to a tree planting planning application and calls for “robust protection” for agricultural land.
Manx Wildlife Trust has put in a planning application for Woodland Creation at MWT Creg y Cowin Nature Reserve.
The farmers union says the application is “essentially the conversion of agricultural land to forestry, for carbon credit offsets”.
The union warns that the carbon credit market is still one of “uncertainties and risks”.
Protection on Agricultural Land
In its letter to the planning committee the union says “the Isle of Man has no regulations in place to specifically protect the Island’s interests either regarding the conversion of large areas of land to forestry for carbon credit markets or control the financial gains from such projects.”
It warns that if this application is approved, the Island may be further exposed to the risks of large-scale land purchasing for carbon credit systems through tree planting.
The union is concerned that the appeal of such projects for corporate entities to offset emissions, it could lead to the Island losing “significant amounts of valuable agricultural land ahead of there being any meaningful controls in place”.
No Going Back
Once the land is converted to forestry, it will not be possible to return it to agricultural use or restore previous habitats.
MNFU says that “food production in the UK has been predicted to drop by 25% in the short term, and it would therefore be prudent to ensure there is more robust protection in place for agricultural land in the Isle of Man”.
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